Voting can be confusing — especially for first-timers. You’ll have to do your research, know your rights, and of course, get registered.
The University of South Florida is hosting a number of programs this week to help students navigate the process.
For National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement hosted an event in the Marshall Student Center on the Tampa campus.
Over a dozen organizations were present - both politically affiliated ones like USF College Republicans and USF College Democrats, and non-partisan community partners like the League of Women Voters.
According to Dennis Mont’Ros, students enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions about the registration process and to learn about other resources.
The Student Programs Coordinator at USF feels strongly about young people making their voices heard.
"I can see how when you have younger generations and older generations talking through issues to make sure that they're settling on what's best for everyone, I can understand how that makes for a happier society,” Mont’Ros said.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that students make it to the polls. College officials say that usually, about 70 percent of USF students register. However, only 30 percent of those actually cast their vote.
As they signed forms and pinned 'I registered' stickers to their shirts, some students shared their motivation for voting.
Senior Jazymine Niver wasn’t planning on registering to vote on Tuesday, but she stumbled on the event while walking to class and thought it would be the perfect time.
She said that she feels more strongly about topics in this election than in previous years.
“I think freedom of choice for abortion rights. I feel like even if you don't fully agree with it, I still think women should have the right to their body.”
Twenty-year-old Lilia Peacey will also vote for the first time this year. She decided to register, hoping to see change in U.S. economic and immigration policies.
“I do think that we need immigration reform in this country. I think that there's been a large surge of illegal immigration, and I think that has taken its toll on this country in many different ways.”
She also cares about housing affordability, especially for students, and curbing inflation.
“The housing market, it's directly affecting students here,” Peacey said. “Not only is it hard to get somewhere to live on campus, it also can be inaccessible and unaffordable to live off campus."
For biomedical sciences major Nevaeh Keever, the decision to register for voting wasn’t driven by any specific policy concerns. She said that a presidential election result directly affects every U.S. citizen’s life, so voting is something that everyone should do.
“I just realized that it's more important than ever to vote right now, regardless of what party you're voting for, your vote does matter,” she said. “Personally, I just have always known I wanted to vote and exercise my right to vote.”
In honor of Democratic Engagement Week at USF, there will be events every day, designed to help students get informed and prepared for voting.
- Wednesday, 9/18: Donut Forget to Register to Vote/ Picture Yourself in Charge
- Thursday, 9/19: Lunchtime Leadership Series with Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, Craig Latimer
- Friday, 9/20: First Time Voter Virtual Info Session with USF's Florida Public Interest Research Group and CLCE
For times and locations of the programs, visit the CLCE website.
